If you're keeping your savings in low-return but "safe" investments, this is the year you need to get your money off the sidelines and into some solid stocks. No stock is risk-free, but these 13 picks are the best we can find for novice investors looking to get their feet wet in the market.

Activision Blizzard,the company behind the "Call of Duty," "Skylanders," and "World of Warcraft" video game franchises posted better than expected results after Wednesday's market close. Adjusted earnings more than doubled to $0.15 a share as revenue rose nearly 20% to $751 million.

Daily deals leader Groupon had one of the worst post-IPO performances of the past year: Since it went public last November at $20, it has shed roughly 80% of its value. But analysts expect a small profit out of Groupon when it reports on Thursday.

A recent Los Angeles Times article surveyed the eating habits -- and political affiliations -- of American restaurant goers, which made us wonder: If a restaurant chain's sales are booming, are the politics it's associated with gaining favor too?

If the Affordable Care Act performs as advertised, tens of millions of Americans will benefit directly. But there will be other beneficiaries, too -- and some will make good investments. For example: Weight Watchers.

Organic foods used to be niche products: hard to find and with limited selections. Now, organic is booming, and it's everywhere from Safeway to Costco. But the standards for what can be called "organic" have changed.

Many people react to the news that Walmart is coming to their neighborhood with dismay. The "Bully of Bentonville" lays waste to local businesses, increases traffic, and can lead to higher crime rates. But here's a twist: Where Walmart builds, property values go up.

The economic recovery may not be ripe, but affluent shoppers are still paying a premium for high-end groceries. Shares of upscale supermarket operator The Fresh Market hit fresh highs on Wednesday after the company posted blowout quarterly results.

Let's go over some of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street: Warren Buffett talks; plastic wins; organic food does too; GM reads its odometer; and recent IPOs check in.

Called it conscious capitalism or just good business, but these five companies have all prospered in every measure over the last decade by doing good for their employees, suppliers, customers or the general public.

Take a look at the receipts in your wallet. They show what you paid for the items you bought, but what's missing are the true costs -- to people and the environment. But, good news: Sustainable and fair trade products don't have to cost you more. Consider, for example, a banana ...

At EARTH University, students don't produce papers. They produce produce -- organically grown crops they harvest and sell -- along with other entrepreneurial agricultural products. Is this hands-on education in working the soil and changing the world a model for a better future.

McDonald's has finally caught up with consumer sentiment on the subject of factory farming and the inhumane treatment of animals. The fast food giant is using its massive leverage to push its pork suppliers to phase out cruelly confining gestation crates for their pigs.

Walmart, which has long been associated with cheap, high-calorie, low-nutrition foods, wants to get healthy: Its new "Great for You" initiative aims to show shoppers it can help them eat healthy on a budget. But can the retail tiger change its spots -- or it's rep?

Retailers are spicing up their brick-and-mortar stores to keep you walking through the door. Their game plan? To design environments that are equal parts high-tech and homespun. But will the changes be enough to keep physical stores from being reduced to showrooms for e-commerce sites?